Togainu no Chi: Blood Hounds Playing School
by Rollingsushi
Summary: Akira is sent to school as an undercover agent and is ordered to sniff out the culprit behind the Line distributions. Along the way, he meets his long lost friend and...the Student Council President. But who exactly is he and what could he be hiding?
1. 1st Class

P.S- this is a revised version. After rereading the old version, i realized there were a lot of mistakes in grammar so here's the re-editted version. It's still not perfect but its much better. Thanks for the heads up ZuZu!

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**Blood Hounds Playing School: The 1st Lesson**

All attention gathered towards the door. A lone man, tall and slender, and carrying a small black bag entered the classroom with confidence, staring callously at the teacher with the intention of intimidation. He flicked his grey fringe out of his eyes and introduced himself calmly as if it had been rehearsed beforehand.

"I'm new here. My name's Akira." His voice was stern and steady, carrying no hint of fear or anxiety. As he took another step towards the teacher, he couldn't help but notice how unhygienic the classroom was. Bits of paper and used chewing gum littered the carpet; many of the gum blackening with age. The air was also musky as if the room hadn't been aired out in weeks.

"Ah, you're the new transfer student, right?" The middle-aged teacher, unshaven and obviously acne-prone, greeted Akira in an awkward fashion. Something about the man suggested he wasn't too eager about getting a transfer student into his class.

"Yeah." The grey-head nodded once, though he knew he had another motive for attending that particular school.

"You come from Kyoto, yes?"

"Yeah." Akira deliberately lied.

In actuality, Akira belonged to a small organization whose sole purpose was to eradicate evildoers who remained hidden from government supervision. He was personally sent to infiltrate the school and arrest the perpetrator behind the 'Line' distributions. Akira didn't know what kind of drug Line was but he would comply with his orders dutifully with no complaints. As an undercover 'exchange student' he was given the important task of digging up information about the school, the drug incidents and of course to smoke out the perpetrator behind the 'line' activities.

"Well then, please take a seat. Do you have your text books with you today?"

"Uh…no."

"No problem." The teacher's eyes wandered around the classroom. "Keisuke!"

"Agh!" A timid-looking guy jumped from his seat, fixing his tousled brown hair and averted his gaze away from Akira for some uncanny reason. "Y-yes sir?"

"Would you mind sharing your books with the new student?"

"Of course." Keisuke's face lifted. As he inspected the guy, Akira noticed something strangely familiar about the moronic kid. Whatever it was, he forced himself to ignore the hunch and proceeded to head towards the desk next to Keisuke's.

"…"

Akira tilted his head a little and noticed that the guy was staring at him intently, causing him to be uncomfortable and a little irritated. He was compelled to shift away from Keisuke in order to avoid conversing with him - Akira wasn't the type to socialize after all – but the brunette had already started speaking to him.

"…Akira?"

The grey-haired man grudgingly turned his head towards Keisuke. "What?"

"No way…it can't be you…"

_What the fuck is this guy talking about?_ "What are you…" And then it suddenly hit him. He _did_ know the guy. How could he have forgotten after all these years? This brown-haired moron in front of him was THE Keisuke he knew back in the days when the orphanage was still standing. They shared some great memories together and remained close friends until they grew up and moved on with their lives. Sure, Keisuke wasn't exactly the coolest of friends Akira had but he had to admit that having a loyal puppy by your side 24/7 was a nice feeling.

Unfortunately, now wasn't the best time and place to catch up with a childhood friend. In all honesty, Akira felt that Keisuke would be a hindrance to him and his mission. He didn't have time to baby-sit an incapable man, nor had the willpower to humour him.

"Keisuke? Oh…"

Keisuke reveled at Akira's dull, yet familiar response. "It IS you!"

"Oy! Keep it down! I'm running a class here!" The teacher was about to chuck a piece of chalk at Keisuke but refrained from doing so, remembering how dirty the classroom already was. "Keep your mouth shut or I'll send you to the principal's."

The brunette blushed in embarrassment and returned his attention towards the books which lay in front of him. Akira decided he would speak with his long lost friend after class was finished.

After everyone left the room for recess, the two gazed curiously at each other, wondering what to say to the other whom they had not seen for years. They knew for sure that fate brought them together again but Akira wished they had reunited elsewhere. He was sure Keisuke would be harmed if he remained with him for the duration of his mission and he absolutely did not desire to see someone close to him get hurt. With the kind of personality Keisuke had, Akira knew he'd have to protect him from danger constantly and he had no time for that sort of commitment. As of now, he could only be seen as a pest until the completion of his mission.

"Akira…it's been too long. Where have you been all this time?" Keisuke's eyes lifted, as did his smile. He, for one, was overjoyed by their fateful encounter and took this chance to mend their relationship, regardless of any objections the other may have.

"I've been traveling places with my foster family." Akira lied cautiously. He took extra care not to spill anything about an underground organization or his true purpose for attending that particular school. "I'm just staying in Toshima for a while so you'll be seeing me around often. Good for you, eh?"

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Keisuke pouted. "We haven't seen each other for so long…"

"Yeah well, here I am." Akira was never the one to speak a lot of banter and he probably would never change that aspect about himself, though he did feel bad for not opening up to Keisuke a bit more. After all, they've been through a lot together.

"Want a tour around the school? I'll show you around!" He eagerly took Akira's hand and pulled him out the room and into the busy hallway. Akira didn't reject the offer though. It provided the perfect opportunity for him to learn about the schools interior and - hopefully - clues that could give him a lead to the Line culprit. He thought of asking his friend a few discrete questions about any strange activities around the school.

"Keisuke, can I ask you something?"

"Of course. Do you need a place to stay? My house is always free!"

"What?" Akira grimaced.

"N-never mind." Keisuke scratched the side of his forehead with embarrassment. "So what was it you needed to ask me?"

Ignoring the strange prompt, Akira bluntly began asking questions. "Has there been any strange things happening inside the school? Like for instance… any drug syndicates running amok maybe? Anything like that? I'm just…curious about how this school works and what happens around here since I came from a rather, uh, prestigious school." He knew he wasn't being subtle at all but seeing as it was Keisuke he was talking to, who was rather naïve and dense, Akira felt that it was safe to speak frankly to his friend. And if Keisuke did suspect something, Akira could just make up another lie and he'd be gullible enough to believe it.

"Drug syndicates? Haha, not that I've heard of. I mean, if there were junkies in the school, the Student Council would definitely do something about it."

"Student Council? Hmm…" The student council would surely know what was going on around their school and if anyone had any information about Line, it would most likely be them. "Keisuke, are you part of the Student Council?"

"God, no. I wouldn't even go near their meeting room."

"Why not?" Akira shook his head and refocused. "Never mind that. Can you take me there?"

"Huh? No way! You're thinking of joining those guys? Oh man, you don't know what you're getting yourself into." As always, Keisuke jumped to conclusions before Akira could even explain himself. "Well, I can show you where they are but please Akira, don't join them. As a friend, I'm begging you." His plead to Akira appeared sincere, though it was puzzling to see why anyone would be afraid of the student council. Weren't they essentially the protectors of the school?

He reluctantly led Akira to the Student Council room, which was pretty hard to miss since it was the only room with a shiny silver plaque on it, blatantly labeled 'Student Council Room'. Keisuke stood far from the entrance as if the room confined creatures of the dark, ready to unleash their bloodlust to anyone who came near. Akira walked right up towards the room with indifference and raised his fists to knock on its door until his friend yanked him away.

"Are you crazy! Don't do that when they're in the middle of a meeting!" He hushed Akira with a finger; his eyes wide with fear. "Man, I wouldn't even be standing here if it weren't for you. You know what? Let's get out of here. Now. Before it's too late."

The undercover agent simply waved the other away, focusing his attention on the door once more with renewed determination. Again, Keisuke impulsively clutched on Akira's arm as if he was holding onto a lifeline. "They can't be that scary. I'm sure they'll cut me some slack since I'm the newbie here. Let go of me, will you?" Akira shrugged him off and knocked on the door boldly. His friend however, being the chicken he was, withdrew back to his hiding spot, around the corner of the men's toilets. Akira scoffed, keeping his eyes forward. Miraculously they opened, as if his presence was expected. They opened wide and revealed a tall, looming figure- A man, who was more or less the same age as Akira and whose dangerous aura would frighten birds and mice from a mile away. Standing solidly on the ground, he looked down upon Akira with eyes of burning crimson. For some reason, Akira couldn't help but marvel at how well the man's black blazer suited him. The beat of his heart quickened when the man spoke.

"My, my. What do we have here?" His voice resonated smoothly. Any girl would have fallen in love with such a dangerous looking man possessing the voice of an aristocratic demon. Unfortunately the man's sardonic manner turned Akira off, not that he admired him in the first place.

"Sorry for bothering you but-"

"You should be." The man leered at Akira. "I presume you're the new kid everyone's talking about. Well, let me make it clear to you that rudeness and ignorance are values I don't respect. Perhaps you need to go back to your mother and have her teach you those values before you show yourself in front of me again." The man smirked, no doubt satisfied with the ridicule. "But putting that aside, what is it you want?"

_To punch your face._ Akira was very tempted to say those words but refrained from doing so, for the sake of his mission."I was just curious about the schooling system that's all. But if you're busy then I'll-"

"Oh? You're interested about our school? Well that's a first." His eyes narrowed, as did his malicious smile. "You're not as ignorant as those other fools who carelessly sit back and bask in the Utopia I've created for them. Heh, just kidding. But truth be told, there is nothing about this school that you would want to know about. It is merely an ordinary place where fools teach and idiots learn, with the occasional delinquency issues to be dealt with of course. What school isn't without its idiots causing problems -"

"Wait, delinquency issues?" Akira interrupted, with a revival of interest in his eyes. This could be it - the information he needed. "What do you mean by that?"

"That is not for outsiders to know about."

"What? Why not?" Akira retorted impatiently. "I'm a student here too so I have every right to know about what goes on around this school!"

"Hmph, what a fool you are." The man grabbed Akira by the collar and pulled him closer to his face as if inspecting him. "And just what are you intending to do with that information? I could kill you for prying into our business. Are you here to cause trouble, cause let me tell you – I have absolutely no tolerance for those who bite but aren't prepared to get bitten themselves."

Fear started to take hold of Akira, not because of the possibility that he may be found out before his mission even started, but because he could feel the malice and disgust behind the other man's words, and it made his body cringe like a little boy who just had his first-hand experience of getting yelled at by a teacher. He was trying to belittle Akira, and it was working.

"Why don't you apologize to me? I might forgive your insolence if you beg for it." The man gazed intimately into Akira's eyes, almost as if he was demanding submission. He grew irritated when his prey said nothing back. "Speak now!"

From the corner of his eye, Akira could see his friend nodding fervently at him. Keisuke was horrified and scared out of his wits, even though his friend was the one getting assaulted and not him. Everyone knew that opposing the Student Council meant years of misery and pain. Akira desperately tried to think of ways of getting out of the situation. What could he do? He didn't want to blow his cover- failure meant getting reprimanded.

"I…" Akira began but the words he was meaning to say did not come out. _Apologize now and all is forgiven._ He knew this, yet he absolutely detested the idea of surrendering. Especially to a man who used his high-status to crush others inferior to him. There was no way Akira was going to submit to the man. It was against his personal values.

"I can't hear you!"

"Shut up!" Akira pulled free from his grasp and glared dangerously at his opponent, who was bewildered by his prey's sudden rebellious stance. "I don't know what you're trying to do but I will not listen to someone who treats others like trash. I would have thought you Student Council assholes would know better than this, but to use your power to step on others is unforgivable!" Without waiting for a reply, he turned and stomped off. "Keisuke! We're leaving!"

"W-Wait! Akira~!" Keisuke sprinted eagerly towards his friend. He was beyond relief of the fact that Akira was safe from the Student Council's wrath. "Thank god, Akira. I really thought he was going to smite you!"

"And who do you think you're talking to? As if I'd let him break me," Akira rolled his eyes, "I'm sure he'll just think of me as another one of those 'ignorant fools' he hates so much. Relax Keisuke, He'll forget about me the next day."

"I hope you're right…"

As they both returned to class, Akira's spine crawled as if someone was watching him.


	2. A Worthy Rival

Glad to see some Togainu no Chi fans out there, but there needs to be MOAR fans who cherish this pair!! Well, here you go- Blood Hounds Playing School Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Nitro+Chiral own TnC

P.S- Lamento fans~~ there shall be some Lamento for ye in this fic (kekeke)

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Days pass by and still Akira had no leads to who the Line perpetrator could possibly be. Time was running out. If he could not find any leads by the end of the month, he would be disowned by the organization. The organization was the closest thing to a true family he had since leaving the orphanage. Everything he did, he did for the sake of the organization. Whether it was something menial or life threatening he would comply with no complaints. It was the only thing he could do to make his existence feel real and wanted, otherwise what was the point in living life if you were useless? He hated to be looked down upon, to have his presence not acknowledged. This was why he despised the Student Council President. Just thinking about that obnoxious guy made his blood boil. And he didn't even know his name yet.

Akira's phone suddenly started vibrating in his pocket. He suspected it was his boss calling from the organization. Before answering it, he quickly scampered into the men's restrooms where there was no one present. If anyone became suspicious of Akira's activities, it'd mean trouble. He took out his phone, eyes wary of any passer-bys, and answered it.

"Good day, Lost."

_Lost, my code name…_

"What is it?" Akira's voice was low, almost glum-sounding.

"Are you aware that you have yet to find anything about our true culprit?"

"I know. Just…just give me a bit more time."

"The deadline is in a few days. If you still haven't found any leads or clues by then, you will be retired. Understand?" Before he could even reply, the line went dead.

_Retired…that's the same as being thrown away._

By now, Akira was getting desperate. He needed something to keep him from being discarded by the organization.

_Any little information would do. Anything!_

One single image flashed into his mind, and it was the image of someone he loathed with all his heart; the one with hair as black as his heart and whose words seethed with venom.

_Of all people…hnn…it's not like I have any other choice._

He headed for the Student Council Room which was just around the corner from the men's restroom. The man got there but he had absolutely no desire whatsoever to see that asshole. All he expected to get from him was a bunch of garbage words that bitched about how useless others were. Unfortunately the same guy also knew something about the sinister Line distributions, or so Akira thought. Nonetheless the Student Council president was his only lead to the case, to his dismay.

He knocked on the door as hard as he could with the intention of pissing off the president. Strangely enough, the door didn't open. Instead an unfamiliar voice called for him from within.

"Yes? Come in."

Akira opened the door, slightly disappointed by the plain interior of the room. He was expecting to see some glamorous furniture scattered around, maybe a velvet couch or an ivory mirror somewhere, but what greeted his eyes was a simple-looking meeting room. The room comprised of a single oval-shaped table, hollow in the middle, with a few chairs scattered around it. There were other random things placed in the room like boxes stacked in the corner of the room but that was it.

_Sheesh, and here I was thinking that the guy owned a luxurious room fit for a King._

"Hello!" Akira's heart nearly leaped out of his chest from the unexpectedly cheery voice. He turned his head and met eyes with a boy whose hair was tinged with green. Two unusual shapes protruding from the boy's head immediately caught Akira's attention. It almost looked like…cat ears? "Did you need something?"

"Ah, sorry. I was looking for someone but I guess he isn't here."

"Ohh, are you looking for Shiki?" The boy's cat ears perked up.

"Shiki? Who's that?"

"The Council president of course!"

_Ohh…so the asshole's name is Shiki. Yeah…I'm not gonna forget that name._

"You must be new to the school if you didn't know his name. I'm the secretary, Konoe. It's always nice to meet new faces."

"Oh, uh…" Akira was dumbfounded by the boy's kindheartedness. He was actually expecting everyone from the Student Council to be evil, manipulative jerks but it seemed that Shiki was the only jerk around here. "I'm Akira. I was recently transferred to this school so I'm not really familiar with things around here, like names or customs."

"Oh?" Konoe smiled broadly as it was his chance to shine. "I can help you! Ask me about anything!"

"Eh? No it's alright really. I can-"

_Wait…this is the perfect opportunity to get some information about the school. Konoe doesn't seem like a really 'bright' person so I could probably get away with asking about suspicious drug-related incidents._

He took the chance and asked the secretary. "Well…" started Akira, "There is this one thing that's bothering me. I keep hearing rumours about some illegal drug that's being handed down to students. It's probably not true but…well if anyone could tell me the reliability of those rumours, it'd be you."

Konoe tilted his head, unable to comprehend what the other just said to him. "Excuse me? This is the first time I've heard of such a thing."

"Really?"

_That's strange…_

The cat-eared boy frowned. "I guess I couldn't help you. But if you really want to know, maybe the president could-"

The conversation was cut short when another presence entered the room, interrupting whatever Konoe was going to say. It was an all-too familiar figure.

_Damnit! Why did he have to appear now?! And at such a bad time too!_

"Oh, welcome back, pres!"

Without stopping to look at the two, Shiki sauntered into the room and put down the documents he was carrying onto the table and took a seat at the far end of it. He leaned back on his leather chair with feet arrogantly on the table and finally looked at Konoe. "Hmph, you look happy. Did that stupid mutt come by again to pamper you?"

Konoe pouted. "Rai's not a stupid 'mutt', and he doesn't pamper me either."

"Whatever. Did you get those documents signed yet?"

"Oh yes. Here they are!"

Akira glared irately at Shiki, with fury that seemed to seethe from the pores of his skin.

_He's totally ignoring me! What a fucking prick!_

"Oh yeah," the optimistic secretary gestured towards the ignored man, "Akira wanted to talk to you! He wanted to ask you something about drugs or rumours or something like that."

_Oh shit. You did not just…_

"Oh?" Shiki put down his feet and hunched over, placing his knotted hands onto the table and grinned sinisterly at his unwelcomed guest. "Akira was it? I'm in no mood to deal with rebels right now so go take that sour face of yours and disappear."

He could feel something snapping from the back of his mind.

_Oh my fucking god this guy pisses me off so badly! Smashing his face in wouldn't even be enough to satisfy this rage of mine._

"Hey, that's not very nice."

"Shut it, Konoe. I didn't ask for your opinion." Shiki's teeth glistened.

_This arrogant, prideful punk! I swear I'm gonna-_

Akira was itching for a fight against one of the most irritating guy he had ever met, but he had to refrain from doing anything that would damage his guise. He needed to focus on the task at hand- to get information about the mysterious Line distributions.

"I'll go once I get my question answered." The undercover exchange student stood up with his back straight and legs apart in order to match Shiki's prideful arrogance, and stared down at the other with eyes that could match his aura of superiority. "It is as Konoe stated before. I have a question regarding the rumours I have heard about concerning illegal drug distributions."

"And?"

_I should've known it wasn't going to be easy to get through to that thick skull of his. _"And if I don't get an answer, I will question heavily the efficiency of the Student Council. For all I know, you guys could be the ones responsible for the drug distributions…" Then it suddenly clicked into Akira's mind. What if the Student Council, no…what if _Shiki_ was the one responsible for the illegal Line distributions? It would explain his avoiding of the question, plus Shiki was in the perfect position to hide any evidence that would pin the blame on him. It had to be him…In fact, Akira hoped he was the culprit behind the Line incidents.

"For you to believe in such petty rumours…who do you think you are, speaking to me like that?" By now, the president's mood evidently soured. He stood up and rapidly made his way to Akira who, stunned by his sudden movement, began to move towards the door but before he could make another move, Shiki's arms shot forward, limiting the movement of his prey.

_Shit. I'm cornered! _Was this the end? Was he going to get expelled?_ No…NO! This cannot end like this. I cannot fail the organization._

Shiki edged his way closer towards the petrified man, ignoring the shocked gasps coming from Konoe's mouth. His face was so close to Akira's that their hairs were touching. "You…I have so much I want to say to you. What makes you think that just because you're some legendary transfer student, you can march into my room expecting answers from me? I admire you for having guts to stand up to _me_ of all people, but even my patience has its limits. Why don't you run back to your helpless friend, hmm? I don't need anymore trouble than I already have."

Akira shook his head boldly. He didn't need to take Shiki's crap. He didn't before and he wasn't going to now. He mumbled under his breath. "You can't tell me what to do."

"What?"

"I said!" The man forcefully shoved his predator off, looking straight into his eyes with unwavering resolve. "You can't tell me what to do! I won't let you order me around! You may think you have complete control over everyone in this school but here's someone you'll never grasp with your hands. No matter what you say or do, I will never acknowledge you!" And with that, Akira pulled the door open behind him and made a dash for it without looking back. He made sure to antagonize the president, Shiki. Sure, his remaining school life was probably going to be hell, but he wasn't going to go down with a fight. A faint smile appeared across his face as he ran out the vicinity.

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"Pres? Are you…alright?" Konoe reached out to help Shiki who had his head on the wall, as if something extremely heavy weighed on his mind. He remained unmoved by the secretary's kind gesture, and instead started chuckling under his breath. His shoulders trembled as he continued sniggering uncontrollably, soon becoming entranced with laughter.

"Ahaha, this is rich! What an arrogant fool! To think he's the only one that has ever stood up to me like that! Oh, it makes my heart pound for more. More! I want to speak with him some more! He excites me like no other has ever excited me before! Hahaha! Akira…I want so badly for you to submit to me. I _will_ have you within my grasp…you'll see."

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Like always, comments are needed to continue the life of this fic. And Akira needs MOAR love!


	3. Reminiscence and Fear

A/N: Sorry for the incredibly late update. My laptop wasn't working (and it still isn't really working...)

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Akira slammed the phone down in despair. Ema had called him once again, regarding the matters of the Line case but she hadn't approved of what he had told her.

_"Do you have evidence, or is this some baseless conjecture of yours?"_

_ "Well, I don't have evidence as of yet but I'm sure that the Student President is-"_

_ "I'm sorry but I cannot accept this new information. If you do not have incriminating evidence which points out the identity of the true culprit then I am afraid we cannot agree with your line of thought. Remember, Lost. You have only a few days left or your mission will be terminated and you will be retired..."_

The troubled man clenched his fists until no blood reached his knuckles. Time was nearly up for him. If he could not find any evidence placing Shiki under suspicion of being the man behind the illegal Line distributions then he would be abandoned by the Organization- his 'family'. For the first time ever he could feel the pressure of the whole situation weighing down on his soul like a ton of bricks. Nonetheless he wasn't allowed to let such trivial problems hinder his mission. He wasn't so weak as to give up in the middle of something – especially if the result was abandonment.

Akira regained his composure and quickly made his way out the classroom, avoiding eye contact with those around him. He kept his eyes on the floor, sticky with stains and unidentifiable litter, and stopped dead in his tracks when he came across the sight of foreign shoes. He looked up.

_-click-_

"The hell?" Akira blinked a few times before his vision reverted back to normal.

"Heya! Sorry, did I surprise you?"

He glowered towards the blonde, feminine-looking man holding a digital camera in his hands. "What the hell are you doing?" Akira knew he wasn't in the best of moods at that time but he still regretted his sudden outburst of anger.

"Sorry! I just couldn't help myself! You looked so cool with that stoic expression of yours." The annoying boy grinned widely as if he was pleased with himself. "I'm Rin. Rin from the photo club! It's so good to finally see you in person, Akira!"

The grey-head frowned, his eyebrows twitching slightly in irritation. It was obvious he wasn't in the mood for some child's prattling; however he was curious as to how the stranger knew him personally. "How do you know about me?"

"Well, your name has been popping up more than I could say during my meetings."

"Meetings?"

"Yeah. I'm part of the Student Representative Council." Rin gloated with arms arrogantly crossed in front of him. For such a small man, his ego was pretty big. "It pleases me to inform you that I am also the vice-president of our great committee."

"Oh?" Akira felt hopeful once again. If Rin worked alongside that bastard then perhaps there was still a chance to gather information regarding the Line distributions. He decided now was the perfect time to ask Rin about it, especially since a certain _asshole_ wasn't around to be a dick right now. Akira knew his efforts appeared to be a little desperate but he didn't care, as long as he got to keep his place in the organization. "Hey, can I ask you something since you're part of the Student Council?"

A mischievous grin stretched across the prideful boy's face. "Oh yeah? Sure, ask ahead!"

Akira decided to use the same justification as he did on Konoe. "Recently, I heard rumours about some illegal drug getting distributed around here and-"

"Akira~! There you are!"

_Fuck this life of mine!_

He turned around only to find himself glomped by an incoming mass whom he immediately identified as being Keisuke. He had his arms clutched around Akira in a possessive manner, glaring daggers at Rin who he inwardly claimed to be his rival on the spot. "Are you asking him out, Rin? You better not be giving Akira a hard time just because he's new here! To think you were going around seducing the others because of your body, hmph!"

"Huh?" The blonde's blue eyes glimmered, his mouth twitching. "Haha, you got it wrong… I only took a photo of him, that's all."

"What?" Keisuke freed Akira and lunged forward to grab Rin's camera but only succeeded in tripping over his own feet. He toppled over awkwardly, face first on the floor. "Ngh! Ow, ow."

"Ahaha, you're such an idiot! I don't think Akira wants someone as clumsy and moronic as you are! He deserves someone cute, athletic and intelligent!" Rin gestured with his thumb to indicate that he was talking about himself. "I'm also in the elite section of the school- the Student Reps! Beat that, Keisuke!"

The brunette stumbled a little but managed to stand up to face his so called rival. "Well, I'm in the art club! I can build stuff and fix bikes!"

The younger boy couldn't help but laugh, turning away slightly to hide his sardonic laughter. "Ahahaha, are you for real? Man, no wonder Akira looks so depressed around you. You're such a dumbass!"

_Ugh…tell me about it._ Akira rolled his eyes at the sheer stupidity of the argument between the two; Keisuke obviously losing against the intellectual Rin. He felt an obligation to help his friend out but he found himself getting distracted by an unfamiliar sensation. A spark of warmth emerged from the cold shackles of his soul as he silently watched the two bark at each other. It reminded him of the good old days at the orphanage- his second 'family'. His best friend Keisuke would often find himself amidst a heated argument with a younger child – of course, Keisuke would be losing – and whenever he watched, Akira would be reminded of how family-like it was. What he craved; what he needed to sustain his sanity – it was all there, back at the orphanage. He wished time would allow him to go back to those innocent days where he would be allowed to act naively and recklessly, free from worries and pain…

Akira was suddenly pulled back into reality. "Akira~! Help me out here!"

The cold man shook Keisuke off and smoothed his crinkled sleeve before reaching for his shoulder bag. He knew he didn't have time for such trivial affairs, especially with his reason for existing was at stake. Without a place in the organization, Akira wasn't so sure what he'd do with his life. "Sorry Keisuke. Take care of it yourself."

As expected, the brunette whined depressingly. "Are you going somewhere again? Can't we hang out today?"

"Maybe some other time."

The brunette whined some more. "But Akira~" He was about to stop the man in his tracks again but then his eyes suddenly averted elsewhere. The expression on his face looked as if someone had stabbed him in the stomach and was about to be stabbed again. Akira followed Keisuke's line of sight and when he saw that inhuman leopard standing there, sneering at them, something struck him mentally, like a sharp thorn through his heart.

_How long has he been standing there?_

"It's the president!" Rin addressed Shiki with familiarity. Akira thought the bastard was there to talk with the vice-pres but he didn't speak a word. He simply just…stared. There was no doubt that the oppressive aura gathering in the classroom belonged to Shiki and it no longer made the students feel safe anymore. Some immediately left the room when they noticed the president standing watch.

_Bastard's probably looking for people to bully…huh?_

It took Akira a moment to realize that the same 'bastard' was actually staring at him. His mind clouded as fear took hold of his heart. He could only think of one thing at that moment - that Shiki wanted revenge. Before Akira could dwell too deeply into that subject, he scooted out the classroom using the back door, completely ignoring the protests coming from Keisuke. Nothing else mattered but escape from Medusa's gaze.

Akira's legs took him as far away as possible from the classroom where Shiki had shown himself. Rather than stay inconspicuous, the agent would rather not deal with whatever bullshit Shiki handed to him. He didn't even want to see his god-forsaken face – that ghostly pale mask, framed by a clash of black silk; those inhuman red orbs that mocked all living things, that cruel smirk of his…Akira detested it all which was why he aimed to get him convicted for the Line incidents whether he was innocent or not, though the agent was sure Shiki was the mastermind behind the crime.

The grey-head hastily made his way through the ominously quiet halls, focusing his eyes on the mosaics embedded on the floor. As the man neared the stairs, his head almost collided with an open door. Startled, he glanced up and approached the door, wary of another presence lurking in the utility room. He detected a man wearing a janitor's uniform, collecting bottles of cleaning liquids and poisons from the shelves. It appeared as if the man took no notice to Akira's presence but when he stood up and turned around, he offered a nod with eyes of indifference.

"Hello." For some strange reason, Akira couldn't help but feel intimidated by the stranger. There was a certain eeriness behind the man's purple eyes, though not necessarily evil. His distasteful clothes and shaggy brown hair made him seem solemn and perhaps a bit mysterious.

"Still at school, are you?" The man's voice was thick with sadness. His eyes were downcast, away from Akira's view. "Be careful on your way home."

"Uh, yeah. Thanks." Akira managed to utter before moving aside to allow the janitor to walk past. He took one last look at the suspicious stranger before he turned a corner, away from sight. Turning around, he realized the janitor had forgotten to lock the door to the utility room. He was prompted to run after the man and inform him about it but thought it too much of a hassle. Akira took a peek into the stale room, glancing at the bottles on the floor that were being swallowed by the darkness before closing the door himself. If someone stole any of the equipment it wasn't going to be his fault.

The path ahead of him seemed endless. He didn't know where he was headed – maybe he was lost? But it really didn't matter to Akira anymore. The man just didn't feel like doing anything anymore and he certainly didn't care where he was going. He wondered when he started to lack motivation. Was it because of what Emma told him, or was it simply because he was just tired? Regardless, he just wanted to call out, scream, destroy the trophy stand in front of him; he wanted to vent out the stress building up inside him. The halls were silent and nobody was around. It provided the best opportunity for him to release all his pent up stress, and yet something in his conscience told him not to do it. Something told him that he wasn't truly alone.

-_clank- _

Akira, suddenly alert, looked around but when he detected nothing he told himself that he was just being paranoid. _It's probably just the janitor_. He decided to finally leave the school grounds because he didn't feel safe anymore. His back would crawl as if someone was stalking him and when he turned around there would be nothing in sight. He felt irritated at this and finally decided to just confront whatever it was that was following him. He hoped to god it wasn't a ghost.

"Show yourself!" Akira felt a little stupid for calling out when there was obviously no one in plain sight. He called out one more time but again no one replied. He sighed, shaking his head and mentally called himself an idiot. He took another few more steps but stopped dead in his tracks when he felt someone sneak up behind him. "What the -" The unknown attacker grabbed his arm and twisted it, rendering him paralyzed. He struggled a bit but found that his attacker was much more powerful than he was. Before Akira could even register what was happening to him, his assailant covered his mouth with a damp cloth and at last he lost consciousness.

* * *

XXX

I think you all know what's coming next :)


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